Lincoln City F.C.

1980s and 1990s

In 1982 and again in 1983, Lincoln narrowly missed out on promotion to the Second Division. In 1985, Lincoln were the opposition at Bradford City when the Bradford City stadium fire claimed the lives of 56 spectators – two of them, Bill Stacey and Jim West, were Lincoln fans, and subsequently these fans had the Stacey West stand named after them.

Lincoln were relegated on the last day of the following season, and the year after that they became the first team to suffer automatic relegation from the Football League. This was a dramatic decline for a club who had almost reached the Second Division four years earlier and has been linked to the trauma arising from the disaster. This marked the fourth occasion on which Lincoln were demoted from the Football League, a record that still stands. They regained their Football League place automatically via promotion as champions of the Conference (beforehand it was done by re-election) at the first attempt with a long ball game devised by eccentric manager Colin Murphy and held on to it until the end of season 2010–11. On 8 September 1990, Lincoln were the opposition when David Longhurst suffered a fatal heart attack during the first half of a game against York City at Bootham Crescent. The game was abandoned at halftime.

The Lincolnshire derby, between Lincoln City and local rivals Boston United, being played at Sincil Bank

Financial difficulties and Play-off attempts

With Lincoln entering administration at the end of the 2001–02 season, Alan Buckley was relieved of his duties as manager on financial grounds^[5] with Keith Alexander placed in charge of all football matters. On 3 May 2002 Lincoln successfully petitioned to go into administration^[6] but the financial crisis would leave the first team squad bereft of players as the day saw five senior players – Jason Barnett, Grant Brown, David Cameron, Steve Holmes and Justin Walker – released at the end of their contracts^[7] with a sixth, Lee Thorpe, departing for Leyton Orient.^[8] A hectic day finished with confirmation of Alexander's official appointment as team manager.^[9]

In 2002–03, Alexander was given the task of keeping the team in the football league; he proved the many pundits and fans who believed that Lincoln would be relegated and sent out of business due to financial irregularities wrong. With a team made up of cheap ex-non-league players and the lower paid members of the previous season's squad, he took them to the play-off final which they lost 5–2 to Bournemouth. The team was rewarded with a civil reception in Lincoln, and an open-top bus ride through Lincoln, an event usually reserved for the winners of such competitions; it was awarded to the team because of the massive achievement.

In 2003–04 Alexander again confounded the critics by coaching the Imps to another play-off position, this time losing to eventual winners Huddersfield Town in the semi-finals. Alexander, one of the very few black managers in the Football League, had a very serious brain injury (a cerebral aneurysm) halfway through the season, but made a full recovery. In the 2004–05 season they again qualified for the play-offs, for the third year running, and in the semi-finals Lincoln beat Macclesfield Town 2–1 on aggregate over two legs but lost in the final against Southend United 2–0 after extra time.

Lincoln fans do a card display before a match against Swindon

In the 2005–06 season, Lincoln City lost narrowly to then Premier League side Fulham in the second round of the 2005–06 League Cup, taking the match to extra-time before the London side won 5–4 in the final minute. In the league, Lincoln again reached the play-offs after many fans and critics believed that they would finish in the mid-table after losing many of their first team regulars from the previous three campaigns. In January both Alexander and former assistant manager Gary Simpson were put on gardening leave by the board. Alexander was soon after reinstated; however, Simpson did not return. Shortly after, over a disagreement with other board members over the way the club was being run and certain personnel, two prominent board members, Ray Trew and Keith Roe departed from the club. Lincoln brushed this saga to the side though, and finished 7th in League 2 after only losing 3 games since the new year. Lincoln were to face local neighbours Grimsby Town in the play-offs, a side they had beaten 5–0 at Sincil Bank earlier in the season. However, once again it was not to be, as Lincoln lost 3–1 on aggregate to become the first team ever to lose four consecutive play-off competitions.

After speculation that he would take up the vacant managerial role at Peterborough United, Keith Alexander left his position as manager of Lincoln City by mutual consent on 24 May 2006, stating that he could take the club no further, and shortly after on 15 June John Schofield was appointed his successor, with John Deehan as Director of Football. When John Deehan was the Director of Football, the club enjoyed a close link with Premier League outfit Aston Villa. As well as Villa hosting a behind closed-doors friendly with City earlier in the 2006–07 season, Paul Green, a promising youngster, made a permanent move to the club, whilst goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik featured several times on the substitute bench during his loan spell at City. Deehan also brought in Ryan Amoo, a youth player who he worked with at Villa, who has since left the club since his contract expired. For the fifth year in a row, under a different manager, however, Lincoln City reached the League Two play-offs after finishing 5th in the league (the highest position that they have qualified for the play-offs in). Once again, however, they lost, this time to Bristol Rovers in the semi-finals courtesy of a 2–1 defeat away and a 3–5 defeat at home. The failure to succeed in five successive play-off competitions is a record for any club.

Demise and relegation from the Football League

Chart of table positions of Lincoln City in the Football League.

The team started the 2007–08 campaign poorly, managing just two wins before a winless streak that lasted from 25 August to 24 November. During this winless streak the Managerial team of John Schofield and John Deehan were sacked, and replaced with former Huddersfield Town manager Peter Jackson. Jackson quickly earned the nickname "Lord of the Imps" due to his shared name with Peter Jackson, the director who made the Lord of the Rings films. Jackson parted company with the club on 2 September 2009 due to poor home form in the previous season and a poor start to the 2009/10 season.

On 28 September 2009, the Lincoln hotseat was handed to former Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, Celtic and England striker Chris Sutton. His assistant was named as Ian Pearce, another former Premier League player. The club had been managed by coach Simon Clark following the sacking of Peter Jackson and his assistant Iffy Onuora. It was announced that Sutton would take the reins from Clark on 30 September. Sutton led Lincoln City to the third round of the FA Cup, after beating Northwich Victoria in a second-round game televised live on ITV1. City were drawn with Premier League side Bolton Wanderers in the third round. The tie was played on 2 January 2010 at the Reebok Stadium, with Lincoln losing the game 4–0 and crashing out respectfully to the Premier League side. League form improved in January, with the team profiting from new loan and permanent signings. Loan signing Davide Somma became an instant hero, scoring 9 goals in his 14 games on loan and ending up being Lincoln's top goalscorer for the season.

Sutton resigned in September 2010, citing personal reasons. However, he later revealed it was due to disagreements over spending with the club's board. On 15 October, the Imps hired Steve Tilson as the club's new manager. Under new management, things looked up for the Imps and by Christmas, Tilson's side were 11th. The good run ended abruptly, and Lincoln started to slip down the table. After a run of nine losses and a draw in the final ten games, Lincoln City were relegated from League Two on the last day of the end of the 2010–2011 season. They needed a win in their final game against Aldershot Town to survive, but lost 3–0. With relegation rivals Barnet winning their final game, Lincoln finished 23rd and were relegated. Almost 8,000 supporters watched the game.

Conference Premier

Following relegation to the Conference Premier, Tilson released all but three members of the squad, telling them they had no future at Sincil Bank. By early October, Lincoln were one point above the relegation zone and the management were coming under fire after a run of one win in four; Tilson was sacked as manager on 10 October 2011 following a 4–0 defeat at Tamworth. Following the duo's sacking, Grant Brown was put in temporary charge.

Brown remained in charge for four games, winning the first but none of the subsequent three, before former Mansfield Town manager David Holdsworth was confirmed as manager. Holdsworth managed the Imps to safety but only by 8 points; furthermore, Lincoln lost to Isthmian League outfit Carshalton Athletic in the FA Trophy and suffered its earliest FA Cup exit since 1924–25.

Lincoln were one game away from facing Liverpool in the FA Cup third round the following season, but were denied by a second round replay defeat to Mansfield Town. On 17 February 2013, David Holdsworth left the club by mutual consent following twelve games without a win. On 27 February 2013, Gary Simpson, a former assistant of Keith Alexander during his time at the club, was appointed manager until the end of the season. Safety was secured on the final day with a 5–1 away win against Hyde.

After a good start to the 2013–14 season, Lincoln went on a run of just two wins in seventeen games, which saw the Imps embroiled in relegation trouble once more. From the start of February to the end of the season, Lincoln lost just three games, and finished 14th in the league, their best placing since relegation. Gary Simpson was placed on gardening leave on 3 November 2014. Assistant manager Chris Moyses was placed in temporary charge and then appointed permanently on 8 December 2014. Lincoln finished 15th that season. 2015–16 would prove to be largely a season of mid-table stability, eventually culminating in a 13th-place finish. Just before the season ended, Moyses announced that he would leave the club in order to focus on his business interests outside of football, and was subsequently replaced by Braintree Town manager Danny Cowley.

City started the 2016–17 season with mixed form, winning two and losing two of their opening four games. This was followed by a run of victories that resulted in the Imps sitting top of the table after a victory at Tranmere, the first time the club had topped any table in ten years. The form again dipped with defeats to Dover and Barrow in late September, but that would be the last time that the Imps would taste defeat in any competition until a last minute defeat to Guiseley on Boxing Day. During that run the Imps travelled to run-away leaders Forest Green and would have fallen twelve points behind with a defeat, but three goals in the final 30 minutes turned around a 2–0 deficit.

The good form continued into the New Year as the Imps gradually started to pull clear of the group. Despite a bit of a dip of form in March, Cowley would go on to lead the Imps to a National League title and a return to League Two for the first time since their relegation six years earlier.^[10] The club ended their second spell in non-league with draws against Maidstone and Southport, the latter of whom were the club's first opponents back in non-league, bringing it full circle.

Crest

Lincoln City's logo used until 2001

Lincoln City currently sport a "traditional" Lincoln Imp badge, a crest synonymous with the success of the 70s and 80s. The badge was returned in 2014, with general manager John Vickers billing it the start of a "new era".^[20] Between the two spells the club used two badges, the first of which being the city's heraldic shield with the letters "L.C.F.C" inscribed onto it. This badge was used until 2001, when the club used a similar design; however, it featured a yellow imp in the centre, with the nickname of "The Imps" written across.

Colours

Traditionally, the colours and design of the Lincoln City strip are a red and white striped shirt along with black shorts and red socks. This varied in the late 1960s and early 70s, the club opted to field a predominantly red strip with white shorts, and also in the 2000–01 season when the shirt was quartered red and white with white shorts. Currently, the home kit retains the red and white striped shirt, but with dashed diagonal lines within the white stripes, along with the black shorts having a red stripe across the bottom. Their away kit has never retained any single pattern or design, and areas varied vastly throughout the seasons, but is currently grey in colour.

Since 2015, the club's kits have been manufactured by Errea. Previous manufacturers have included Umbro (1973–78, 2007–11), Adidas (1978–83), Lowfields (1983–85), Osca (1985–87), Spall (1987–90), Matchwinner (1990–94), Admiral (1994–97), Super League (1997–99), Avec Sportswear (1999–2001), Imps Sport (2001–04), Lincoln City Collection (2004–06), Uhlsport (2006–07), and Nike (2011–15). Their current shirt sponsors are NSUK Asbestos Surveys. Previous sponsors have included J.Arthur Bowers (1982), F&T Tyres (1983–89), Wheel Horse (1989–90), Pickfords (1990–91), Findalls (1991–92), Lincolnshire Echo (1992–98), Alstom (1998–2003), Siemens (2003–04), The Community Solutions Group (2004–06), Starglaze (2006–10), GoCar (2010–11), TSM (2011–13) and Bishop Grosseteste University (2013-2018).

First team

As of 9 October 2018.^[21]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Josh Vickers 2 MF Kellan Gordon (on loan from Derby County) 3 DF Sam Habergham 4 MF Michael O’Connor 5 DF Jason Shackell 6 DF Scott Wharton (on loan from Blackburn Rovers) 7 MF Tom Pett 8 MF Lee Frecklington (Captain) 9 FW Matt Rhead 10 FW Matt Green 11 MF Bruno Andrade 12 MF Ellis Chapman 14 DF Harry Toffolo 15 DF James Wilson

No. Position Player 16 MF Michael Bostwick 17 FW Shay McCartan (on loan from Bradford City) 18 FW Bernard Mensah (on loan from Bristol Rovers) 20 DF Adam Crookes (on loan from Nottingham Forest) 21 GK Grant Smith 22 GK Michael Antkowiak 23 DF Neal Eardley 24 GK Sam Slocombe (on loan from Bristol Rovers) 26 MF Harry Anderson 27 DF Jamie McCombe 29 FW John Akinde 30 FW Jordan Adebayo-Smith 31 FW Elliot Sartorius

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 19 MF Joan Luque (on loan at Bromley)

Coaching staff

Role	Nationality	Name
Manager		Danny Cowley
Assistant Manager		Nicky Cowley
First Team Coach		Jamie McCombe
Youth Academy Manager		Damian Froggatt
Lead PDP Coach		Tom Shaw
Goalkeeping Coach		Andy Warrington
Head of Sports Science and Medicine		Mike Hine
Sport Therapist		Steve Rands
Head of Sports Science		Luke Jelly
Strength & Conditioning/Sports Massage		Kieran Walker
Statistical Analyst		Matt Page
Statistical Analyst		Toby Ellis
Head of Performance Analysis		Stewart England
Assistant Performance Analyst		Glenn Skingsley
Club Podiatrist		Julian Soons

League

• Division 3 (North)
  • Winners (3): 1931–32, 1947–48, 1951–52
  • Runners-up (3): 1927–28, 1930–31, 1936–37
• League Two
  • Winners (1): 1975–76¹
  • Runners-up (1): 1980–81¹
  • Third place (1): 1997-98²
  • Play-off finalists (2): 2002–03², 2004–05
• Football Conference/National League
  • Winners (2): 1987–88, 2016–17

Cup

• Football League Trophy
  • Winners (1): 2017–18
• Football League Group Trophy
  • Finalists (1) 1982/83
• Conference Championship Shield
  • Winners (1): 1987–88

Other/Youth and Reserve

• Lincolnshire Senior Cup
  • Winners (38): 1886–87, 1890–91, 1891–92, 1893–94, 1907–08, 1909–10, 1911–12, 1913–14, 1914–15, 1919–20, 1921–22, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1926–27, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1955–56 (Shared), 1961–62, 1963–64 (Shared), 1965–66 (Shared), 1966–67, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1974–75, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1990–91, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2013–14,
  • Runners-up (32): 1892–93, 1894–95, 1896–97, 1900–01, 1902–03, 1903–04, 1908–09, 1912–13, 1920–21, 1922–23, 1925–26, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1954–55, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1985–86, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2014–15
• Pontin's Reserve League Cup
  • Winners (1): 2006–07
• Fred Green Memorial Trophy⁶
  • Winners (1): 2006–07
• John Reames Memorial Trophy
  • Winners (1): 2013–14
• Midland League / Central League
  • Winners (4): 1889–90, 1908–09, 1911–12⁵, 1920–21
  • Runners-up (1): 1932–33
  • Third-placed (1): 1928–29

Highest finishes

• Highest league finish
  • 5th in Football League Division Two (second tier): 1901–02⁴
• FA Cup
  • Quarter-finalists (1): 2016–17
• League Cup
  • 4th round (1): 1967–68
• FA Trophy
  • Semi-finalists (1): 2016–17

Notes:

¹ Then known as Division 4

² Then known as Division 3

³ This final has not been officially recognised in the current Football League Trophy records, and consequently the club have not been credited as runners-up in the history books of this competition. This is due to the fact that in between the abandonment of the Texaco Cup/Anglo-Scottish Cup and the arrival of the current competition, this was the competition that took place (the Football League Group Trophy) but has not been considered an "official" replacement/transition between the trophies

⁴ Then known as Division 2

⁵ Central League

⁶ Competition contested every year from 2007 against local rivals, Lincoln United

Notes:

⁷ Division 2 from 1892 to 1992; Division 1 from 1992 to 2004

⁸ Division 3 from 1892 to 1992; Division 2 from 1992 to 2004

⁹ Division 4 from 1892 to 1992; Division 3 from 1992 to 2004

¹⁰ Football Conference from 1979 to 2014

Player records

• Record appearances: Grant Brown – 469
• Record goal scorer: Andy Graver – 143 (1950–55, 1958–61)
• Record goals in one season: Allan Hall – 45 (1931–32)
• Youngest player: Shane Nicholson – 16 years and 112 days v. Charlton Athletic, 23 September 1986, League Cup
• Oldest player: Albert Iremonger – 42 years and 312 days v. Doncaster Rovers, 23 April 1927, Football League